ON.
JOHN F. CORNELL, auditor of state, was born in De Kalb
county, Indiana, February 7, 1847, of English-German
ancestry, and came with his parents to Nebraska as early as
1856, when but a mere school-

boy. He was obliged, by reason of his lot being cast amid
the severe requirements of pioneer life, to toil hard during
the summer and fall of each year, attending school only
about three months out of the twelve. As he puts it, he "led
a rather monotonous life until twenty-one years of age." He
taught school, farmed, rustled, and spent two years of his
life in Mitchell county, Kan-

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OFFICERS.

203

sas, on a homestead. He attended the State University of
Nebraska for two years. In 1882 he was married to Miss Belle
Patterson, of Richardson county, this state. He has never
been considered a politician in the ordinary sense, though
several times honored by his neighbors and friends with
local offices, and served as a member of the board of county
supervisors of Richardson county for five years. Since 1890
Mr. Cornell has been identified with the populist party, and
in 1892 ran for the state senate from the first district,
reducing the normal republican majority from 600 to 70. He
was elected auditor over one of the strongest candidates for
state office nominated by the republican party in the
campaign of 1896. Auditor Cornell is a man of the strictest
integrity, thoroughly conscientious in his discharge of
public duties, and has the unbroken confidence of all who
know him.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

ON.
CONSTANTINE J. SMYTH, attorney general of Nebraska, is a
native of the Emerald Isle, having been born in Ireland
December 3, 1858. He came to America at the age of eleven
years, locating in New York City, where he resided until he
came to Nebraska. He located in Omaha in 1877 and educated
himself at Creighton College, paying his expenses from wages
earned as mail clerk on the Omaha Herald. He studied
law, and was admitted to the bar in 1885. The year following
he was elected to the house of representatives, and made a
brilliant record as a legislator, taking part in many of the
important debates on public meas-

204

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BOOK

ures. For three and one-half years he was a member of the
Omaha board of education. In 1894 he was selected as
chairman of the democratic state central committee, and
served two years. He was one of the four delegates at large,
and chairman of the delegation from Nebraska to the
democratic national convention in Chi-

cago in 1896, and played a prominent part in bringing
about the nomination of Hon. William Jennings Bryan. Mr.
Smyth was nominated in the Omaha democratic convention of
1896 for attorney general, was endorsed by the populist
convention held at Hastings, and elected by a large
plurality. In January, 1889, Mr. Smyth was married at Omaha
to Miss Katie Murphy.

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OFFICERS.

205

He was a law student some years ago with Hon. J. D. Howe
and H. J. Davenport, of Omaha. He has the reputation of
always having been a close student, and during his
professional career has taken part in many cases of note.
Attorney General Smyth is a courteous gentleman of refined
temperament, pleasing address, forceful in expression, and
with high ideals. It is safe to assume that he will make a
creditable administration, both to himself politically and
to the state with whose interests he is charged.